https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=162.158.255.39&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T11:37:42ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=495:_Secretary:_Part_2&diff=219106495: Secretary: Part 22021-10-11T18:55:46Z<p>162.158.255.39: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 495<br />
| date = October 28, 2008<br />
| title = Secretary: Part 2<br />
| image = secretary part 2.png<br />
| titletext = That helmet won't save him.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Whenever something big happens the news, media likes to have at least two things: interviews with people who are the news, and on-the-scene reporters. In this case, [[Blondie]] as a [[:Category:News anchor|news anchor]] is shown to begin with talking about [[Black Hat]], and she has even been out at his house. Even if those reporters are simply standing in front of a building that something happened in, they have to be on-scene. To thwart the media (and probably everyone else), Black Hat has built a {{w|moat}} around his apartment building. The second reporter is on-the-scene from the Internet, or rather, one of its darkest corners: {{w|4chan}}. In more detail, 4chan is a collection of image boards that act somewhat like forums, where users go to share images. The different boards are named by their "folder" structure, for lack of a better term. Therefore, the name /b/ comes from its URL: 4chan.org/b/. Pronounced "slash bee" (because the second forward slash is not necessary), /b/ is the "random" board, where anything goes, where anything is the superset of all sets, as in anything. Absolutely. Anything. As in, going more than two seconds without seeing pornographic content or hateful slurs is almost unheard of. /b/ is also the one that gets the most publicity, because it has started most of the {{w|meme}}s [http://knowyourmeme.com/] on the Internet, as well as the birthplace of {{w|Anonymous (group)|Anonymous}}. The chaotic nature of the forums explains why the title text suggests that the reporter isn't safe, even though he is wearing a helmet. In fact, a goofy helmet like that is liable to get the trolls on him faster than if he didn't have it. This may be a {{w|Densha Otoko}}[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Densha_Otoko_(TV_series)] reference, which features helmet-wearing /b/ members.<br />
<br />
{{w|Ron Paul}} is a man who was a U.S. Representative for Texas at the time. At the time the comic was published, he was running, for the second time, for {{w|President of the United States}}.<br />
<br />
A {{w|haberdasher}} is a person who sells small articles of clothing that have been or can be sewed. In modern English, a haberdashery (where a haberdasher would work) is a place that sells hats.<br />
<br />
Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign did, in fact, use a {{w|blimp}} that was named the {{w|Ron_Paul_presidential_campaign,_2008#Ron_Paul_Blimp|Ron Paul Blimp}}. However, despite their elegant appearance, blimps are not a very fast way to travel.<br />
<br />
The images on the /b/ board behind the reporter are:<br />
*[https://youtu.be/ZWwMre0PuTQ "'''A'''yyy"], a common exclamation by the character {{w|Fonzie}} from the TV show ''{{w|Happy Days}}'', usually while giving {{w|Thumb signal|two thumbs up}}.<br />
*{{w|/b/|/'''b'''/}}, the "random" {{w|Internet forum|discussion board}} on 4chan.<br />
*A {{w|Compact disc|'''C'''ompact '''D'''isc}} (or "CD"), a plastic disc for {{w|Optical disc|optical}} {{w|Data storage|data storage}}.<br />
*[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/epic-fail-guy '''E'''pic '''F'''ail '''G'''uy], a {{w|Internet meme|meme}} that originated on 4chan, of a {{w|Stick figure|stick-figure}} character (often wearing a {{w|Guy Fawkes mask}}) who fails at everything he tries.<br />
Together, the initial letters of these items spell out "'''ABCDEFG'''".<br />
<br />
The title text states that the second reporter (Tom)'s helmet won't help him, though from what, it is unclear as he himself stated he wasn't sure why he was wearing the helmet.<br />
<br />
All comics in the [[:Category:Secretary|Secretary]] series are:<br />
*[[494: Secretary: Part 1]]<br />
*[[495: Secretary: Part 2]]<br />
*[[496: Secretary: Part 3]]<br />
*[[497: Secretary: Part 4]]<br />
*[[498: Secretary: Part 5]]<br />
<br />
This series was released on five consecutive days (Monday-Friday) and not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule.<br />
<br />
It is possible that this series is a continuation of [[493: Actuarial]], in which Black Hat demonstrates great power over even Internet trolls via his sociopathic ways. This would explain why Black Hat was chosen as Internet secretary.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Blondie as a news anchor sitting behind a desk is reading from a paper she holds in her hands. There is a picture of Black Hat on a screen behind her. There is a caption below the picture.]<br />
:Blondie: Breaking news—the President has made a nomination to the new post of Internet Secretary. We know little about the man, shown here.<br />
:Caption: Possibly a haberdasher?<br />
<br />
:[Blondie keeps talking over a scene showing her standing with a microphone in front of a water-filled moat that has been dug between the road and a house. A small stair up to the house is just on the other side of the moat. Behind her is Cueball with a large TV camera on his shoulder pointing towards her and the house.]<br />
:Blondie (narrating): Attempts to reach the nominee at home were unsuccessful.<br />
:Blondie: What the hell kind of apartment has a moat?<br />
<br />
:[Back to Blondie behind her desk, the paper is gone, and she leans one arm on the desk. There is no screen behind her.]<br />
:Blondie: To understand the culture from which he came — and which he may soon administer — we sent a reporter to what we're told is the source of that culture. <br />
:Blondie: Tom?<br />
<br />
:[This panel is much larger than the three previous panels and partly hidden behind the last. Tom, looking like Cueball with a military helmet with camouflage marks strapped under his chin, holds a large microphone in front of him while standing in front of a large screen. The screen shows a message board with four picture posts. Each picture has a text to the right, but those are unreadable scribbles. The top drawing is of a man with wild hair who holds out his hands with thumbs up. The next is text. Then there is a circle with a smaller circle in the middle and at the bottom what appears to be a Cueball-like man with a fencing mask. Blondie still speaks to him from off-panel left.]<br />
:Tom: I'm coming to you live from the 4chan /b/ board. Despite the tube cloggage, nascent memes are flying fast and furious.<br />
:Blondie (off-panel): Why are you wearing a helmet, Tom?<br />
:Tom: I'm not sure.<br />
:Image with text only: /b/ <br />
<br />
:[Ponytail is sitting in front of a large control unit using the two levers coming out of it from below two buttons that are again below the lit screen. A voice comes from off-panel left. Above the top of the panels frame, there is a frame with a caption:]<br />
:Meanwhile in Ron Paul's blimp.<br />
:Ron Paul (off-panel): Ahoy! What news of the blogs?<br />
<br />
:[Zoom out showing Ponytail, who has turned around on her office chair away from the controls towards Ron Paul drawn like Cueball but with a cane. She holds up a piece of paper with a small square insert visible at the top. Apart from that, it is white.]<br />
:Ponytail: Dr. Paul! The President's named his nominee!<br />
:Ron Paul: It's not me?<br />
<br />
:[Ron Paul's blimp is shown from the outside. His voice can be seen coming from the airship. There is text on the blimp, with the four letters after the first written mirrored to spell another word.]<br />
:Ron Paul (from inside the blimp): Wait! I remember that guy from the campaign! He's a notorious troll!<br />
:Blimp: <br />
::Ron Paul <br />
::RƎVO⅃UTION<br />
<br />
:[Back inside the blimp, Ron Paul points to Ponytail, while his other hand is lifted to his chin. His cane leans against his legs. Ponytail looks at him from her chair, the paper now held in her lap.]<br />
:Ron Paul: They mustn't put him in charge. Quick, call the capitol!<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail turns around on her chair towards the controls and takes hold of one of the sticks. Ron Paul has taken the cane in his hand again.]<br />
:Ponytail: Can't, sir. The tubes just went down completely.<br />
:Ron Paul: Blast!<br />
<br />
:[Ponytail now holds onto both sticks as Ron Paul lifts his cane up into the air pointing away from her up and right.]<br />
:Ron Paul: Then we'll go ourselves. Full speed ahead!<br />
<br />
:[A full view of the blimp hanging in the air to the left over a broad landscape. There seems to be a small lake just in front of the blimp. The horizon is shown all along this full width panel, and after the lake, there are five small mountain peaks, two behind the three in front. After the last of these, there follow one more peak and a small mound. Features are shown on the ground. In the air in front of the blimp, there are a small cloud inside the panel at the end of the lake and a large cloud breaking the upper frame over the end of the five mountains stretching over the next peak and mound.]<br />
:Blimp: <br />
::Ron Paul <br />
::RƎVO⅃UTION<br />
<br />
:[Same image. The blimp has advanced minutely, taking the tip clearly over the lake. Beat panel #1]<br />
:Blimp: <br />
::Ron Paul <br />
::RƎVO⅃UTION<br />
<br />
:[Same image. The blimp has advanced minutely again. Beat panel #2]<br />
:Blimp: <br />
::Ron Paul <br />
::RƎVO⅃UTION<br />
<br />
:[Same image, but now the two speak from within the blimp. The blimp has again advanced minutely so the gondola below the blimp is now also almost at the edge of the lake.]<br />
:Ron Paul: I said full speed!<br />
:Ponytail: It's a blimp, sir!<br />
:Blimp: <br />
::Ron Paul <br />
::RƎVO⅃UTION<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Secretary|02]]<br />
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Secretary]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]] <br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] <!--Camera guy --><br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ron Paul]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:News anchor]]<br />
[[Category:Airships]]<br />
[[Category:Internet]]<br />
[[Category:Politics]]</div>162.158.255.39https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2525:_Air_Travel_Packing_List&diff=2189892525: Air Travel Packing List2021-10-08T07:57:06Z<p>162.158.255.39: /* Explanation */ ce</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2525<br />
| date = October 6, 2021<br />
| title = Air Travel Packing List<br />
| image = air_travel_packing_list.png<br />
| titletext = I know the etiquette is controversial, but I think it's rude when the person in front of me reclines their seat into the bell of my trumpet.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an TRUMPETBORNE PARACHUTER - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br />
This comic is another in a [[:Category:COVID-19|series of comics]] related to the {{w|2019–20 coronavirus outbreak|2020 pandemic}} of the {{w|coronavirus}} {{w|SARS-CoV-2}}, which causes {{w|COVID-19}}. <br />
<br />
The comic is about a proposed air-travel packing list, and the humor stems from the fact that many people have not been flying during the pandemic, and thus they might have forgotten what to pack. So [[Randall]] is so kind as to provide a packing list with 20 items. However, apart from the first item, the rest is not something you should or would normally bring on a plane.<br />
<br />
Many of the items are already found on the plane, some would seem like they could be useful on a plane, while other could actually be useful in case of a plane crash (but only if you survive). Below in [[#Table of items|the table]] is a quick summary of each item.<br />
<br />
The title text reference the idea that there is a trumpet for each passenger provided by the airline; item number 16 on the list. This items also states that you, because of the covid-19 pandemic, should remember to bring your own mouthpiece for the trumpet for safety measure. <br />
<br />
The trumpet idea is then combined with the common debate regarding reclining your seat in airplanes. About half of the people think that reclining is rude as it takes up the space of the person behind you. The other half think that seats recline for a reason and the person in a seat has the rights to the space behind them. See for instance this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08A30v8isRs video] about such a debate. Reclining a seat has resulted in actual [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/fight-airplane-man-punch-video-b1895402.html physical fights] on board planes.<br />
<br />
Here it seems that Randall sides with the anti-recliners, although maybe only in the context of the comic, because he states that the recline would prevent him from playing his trumpet, as the seat hits the bell of the trumpet. The person in front could certainly argue that playing the trumpet behind them would be very annoying, to which Randall could reply that because the trumpet is provided by the airline, he has the right to play it. This would add a new layer to the debate. This could also be Randall's way of arguing against the right to recline a seat, just because it is possible.<br />
<br />
===Table of items===<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
! Item<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|Seat cushion<br />
|This can be used as a flotation device in a crash and is provided by the airline. Some people may also bring their own cushions for comfort.<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Parachute}}<br />
|Parachutes are normally used to slow down your falling out of the sky to a relatively safe speed in case of a severe problem with your aircraft, and are routinely used as a safety device by (para)glider pilots, test pilots, military aircraft crew and in similar situations when being unable to land safely is a significant concern. A parachute won't be very useful in a typical passenger airplane (even a small one) as there is no way to safely exit such a plane in-flight. Even the airplanes used for {{w|skydiving}} need to be specifically designed or modified for that purpose, such as having wide sliding doors that are unaffected by airflow. However, there were single cases of people being ejected or sucked out of a passenger airplane; in such case a parachute could by arguably useful. Famously, [[:Category:Comics featuring D. B. Cooper|D.B. Cooper]] jumped from an airplane in-flight with a parachute.<br />
|-<br />
|Wing glue<br />
|Probably to repair wings in the event of damage, potentially in a crash. Would be tricky (but not necessarily impossible) to apply mid-flight. This the first of several items that are potentially useful to the flight crew or maintenance teams, but would not be useful or appropriate for passengers to bring aboard.<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Air horn}}<br />
|An air horn uses compressed air to make a very loud noise very easily. This may be important for drawing attention to yourself in the event of a crash. Typically, emergency lifejackets on a plane are provided with a light and whistle for this purpose. The noise of an air horn might prove more effective for this purpose than a whistle, but it would become useless as soon as the compressed air ran out. Its inclusion is probably meant to suggest that the word 'air' in its name indicates that it's designed for use in an aircraft. Using one in a non-emergency situation would infuriate everyone else on the plane.<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Sextant}}<br />
|In combination with star charts, a sextant can be used to determine your position based on the location of stars in the night sky. Alternately, in combination with an accurate clock, a sextant can be used to determine the position of the sun relative to the aircraft to determine the vehicle's position. In a crash, you could use this to find your way to a safe place, but sextants are rarely used, and most people not trained on how to operate one. GPS will also allow you to find your position, is built into many phones, and is faster and easier to use than a sextant. If you've got a homing beacon, it probably makes more sense to just activate that and wait for help to arrive.<br />
<br />
Until the early 1980s, long-range airplanes had a {{w|Air_navigation#Flight_navigator|flight navigator}} who used sextants and {{w|celestial navigation}} to determine the position of the airplane. Interestingly, it was much more accurate than early {{w|inertial navigation systems}}, and the accuracy of celestial navigation is still useful today. What made the sextant redundant was the INS' lower workload - the error accumulated by the INS during a long oceanic flight could always and easily be mitigated by other means, for example with {{w|VHF omnidirectional range|VOR}}/{{w|Non-directional beacon|NDB}} radio beacons. <br />
|-<br />
|Nose plugs and goggles for pressure<br />
|Nose plugs and goggles are commonly used in swimming but would be useless for dealing with cabin pressurization or depressurization. Since your mouth and nose are interconnected, nose plugs would be useless on their own. Trying to hold your breath in a sudden depressurization event will cause lung damage, so nose plugs wouldn't be a good thing, even if you could also seal off your mouth. Goggles would also not be useful. During depressurization, the air would just seep out. During pressurization, they would just become uncomfortable and difficult to remove.<br />
|-<br />
|Airplane shoes<br />
|Airlines typically don't require the use of special footwear for passengers, nor do they provide special shoes. Before emergency egress, certain shoes (like high heels) must be discarded, though. Aircrew are also prohibited from wearing such shoes. <br />
|-<br />
|Navigation crystal<br />
|Mystical form of navigation, presumably either for navigation during flight or to help you get home after a crash.<br />
Crystals that polarize light can be used as a compass [http://www.polarization.com/viking/viking.html].<br />
|-<br />
|Spare batteries in case the plane runs out<br />
|Airplanes will generally use more power than any battery small enough to be easily packed in a bag can provide. They will generally use either 115V AC at 400Hz or 28V DC, both of which are very uncommon outside of aviation. The plane will almost never use its own batteries in-flight anyway, getting its electric power from the main engines, the APU, or, in emergencies, the ram air turbine or similar generating device. The batteries are generally only used on the ground when the engines are not running.<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Birdseed}}<br />
|So one can attract birds. In practice, this wouldn't work for multiple reasons (high speed, altitude, and sealed windows being some of most obvious ones) and would pose a significant hazard of birds getting stuck in an engine if it did. On the other hand, spreading birdseed before boarding would be seen as misconduct by airport authorities, as it may pose a danger to aircraft by attracting birds. Alternatively, birdseed can be used to attract birds after surviving a crash, e.g. to catch them for food.<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Homing beacon}}<br />
|Once activated, a homing beacon will send out a continuous radio signal so that rescuers can find your location. These can be very useful in a plane crash, but airplanes already carry them ({{w|Emergency position-indicating radiobeacon}}s), so you don't need to pack one yourself. Incidentally, the {{w|COSPAS-SARSAT}} system for locating distressed airplanes and ships was a cooperation started by the United States and the Soviet Union, and it was an elegant and simple solution that uses the {{w|Doppler effect}} of radio signals for accurate location - long before the {{w|Global Positioning System}}.<br />
|-<br />
|Meteorite antidote<br />
|Meteorites are pieces of space rocks that make it all the way to the ground. They can cause injury but they aren't poisonous{{Citation needed}}, so an antidote would not help.<br />
|-<br />
|USB wing connector<br />
|This is a just a wire connector, but because it has wing in the name is on the list. Alternatively, the plane wings connect by USB, and this can be used to reattach wings. Airplanes usually use the {{W|ARINC 429}} protocol (or, increasingly, TCP/IP, RS427, RS232, or even CANBUS) instead of USB protocols to facilitate electronic communication between flight computers and the engines, for example.<br />
|-<br />
|Emergency siren<br />
|USE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY<br />
|-<br />
|Spare flaps<br />
|Flaps can be moved to adjust the lift/drag ratio of a wing, generally during takeoff and landing. Flaps are very large and mounted on the wing, outside the passenger compartment, so bringing spares would be very difficult and completely useless. Flaps failing to come down can also usually be remedied by just landing at a longer runway.<br />
|-<br />
|{{w|Mouthpiece (brass)|Mouthpiece}} (pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)<br />
|A part of a brass instrument like a trumpet. Randall jokes that trumpets are provided on airplanes (which would be very obnoxious to other passengers), but due to the pandemic you cannot use a shared mouthpiece.<br />
|-<br />
|Luggage ballast<br />
|Likely to make plane more balanced. While balancing weight in a plane is indeed a real problem, it's solved by rearranging luggage and adjusting engine power slightly. Introducing ballast would mean additional weight for no real reason.<br />
Alternatively, while a common passenger issue is to have hand- and/or hold-luggage that exceeds the airline's personal allowance, this person has ''under''weight baggage and does not wish to 'waste' the difference, so bulks it up. (Noting that someone already with the rest of the items on this list is unlikely to suffer this 'problem'.)<br />
|-<br />
|Flag (international flights)<br />
|To identify your country of origin. Other flags are also used to communicate between boats without electricity, in the event the boats are in distress, so they could be used in the event of a crash.<br />
|-<br />
|Decoy tickets<br />
|Maybe these would used as a distraction so you can sneak onto the plane without paying?<br />
But also a typical trope for fictional (and real life?) attempts to evade being tracked or followed. Buy tickets for one destination, that one assumes the opposition will be fully aware of, but also arrange for another set (probably with a 'clean' identity) for your intended destination and switch to using those once in the chaos of the departure-lounge.<br />
|-<br />
|Keys to the plane<br />
|Though some pushed for it after a plane was stolen in the {{w|2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident}}, most commercial planes do not require keys to start the engine(s) like a car does. Likewise, plane doors are not locked with a key. Instead, they are secured with a tamper seal. If a seal is found broken, the plane is thoroughly checked for any wrongdoing.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A lists of 20 items is given in two columns with 10 items in each. Each item is preceded by a checkbox. Most items only take up one line, but in the left column two items take up two and in the right one item take up three, so they take up the same space. Above is a large heading, with an explanation beneath it.]<br />
:<big><big>Air Travel Packing List</big></big><br />
:<big>If you haven't flown in a while, you might not remember what you need to bring. Use this handy checklist to pack!</big><br />
<br />
:[Left column:]<br />
:☐ Seat cushion<br />
:☐ Parachute<br />
:☐ Wing glue<br />
:☐ Air horn<br />
:☐ Sextant<br />
:☐ Nose plugs and goggles for pressure<br />
:☐ Airplane shoes<br />
:☐ Navigation crystal<br />
:☐ Spare batteries in case the plane runs out<br />
:☐ Birdseed<br />
<br />
:[Right column:]<br />
:☐ Homing beacon<br />
:☐ Meteorite antidote<br />
:☐ USB wing connector<br />
:☐ Emergency siren<br />
:☐ Spare flaps<br />
:☐ Mouthpiece (Pandemic restriction; airlines still provide the trumpet)<br />
:☐ Luggage ballast<br />
:☐ Flag (International flights)<br />
:☐ Decoy tickets<br />
:☐ Keys to the plane<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:COVID-19]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>162.158.255.39https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2498:_Forest_Walk&diff=216110Talk:2498: Forest Walk2021-08-05T12:40:54Z<p>162.158.255.39: Typo</p>
<hr />
<div><!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.--><br />
Have just added a transcript. Hope I did good! :) -Lance ([[Special:Contributions/172.70.126.211|172.70.126.211]] 02:40, 5 August 2021 (UTC))<br />
<br />
Wonder what Beret Guy would do if Cooper said, "I don't have it any more," since some of the money was discovered, badly deteriorated and partially buried, along the banks of the Columbia River back in 1980, as verified by serial numbers on the found currency. Given the absence of any other evidence, it was assumed that the hijacker had gotten separated from the money either during or right after the jump, the found currency had been deposited as flotsam at its discovery point through the actions of the river itself, and the rest of the money was still somewhere in the Pacific Northwest awaiting similar discovery, [[User:RAGBRAIvet|RAGBRAIvet]] ([[User talk:RAGBRAIvet|talk]]) 04:23, 5 August 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
If it can be considered that the comic is a reference to random walk (in a forest), can it also be considered a reference to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_forest random forests] ? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.68.73|141.101.68.73]] 07:14, 5 August 2021 (UTC)<br />
:I don't get why the comic is supposed to be a reference to random walks or to random forests. Nothing points to that. Real forests exists, and people walk in them. The only peculiarity of this particular forest is that D.B. Cooper hangs in one of its trees. --[[Special:Contributions/188.114.103.244|188.114.103.244]] 08:20, 5 August 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I feel like there should be a D.B. Cooper category at this point. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.52|141.101.104.52]] 07:51, 5 August 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hey there, I think the alt text is also a reference to https://xkcd.com/2390/ ? Kind regards :) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.61|162.158.89.61]] 08:13, 5 August 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Typo: "he might have simply inherited it form his mom". --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.39|162.158.255.39]] 12:40, 5 August 2021 (UTC)</div>162.158.255.39https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=975:_Occulting_Telescope&diff=107174975: Occulting Telescope2015-12-17T05:26:39Z<p>162.158.255.39: /* Explanation */ Removed incomplete tag after learning that issues with Wikimedia Commons are spread throughout the entire wiki as a standing issue. RIP me.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 975<br />
| date = November 09, 2011<br />
| title = Occulting Telescope<br />
| image = occulting_telescope.png<br />
| titletext = Type II Kardashev civilizations eventually completely enclose their planetary system in a Dyson sphere because space is way too big to look at all the time.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
<br />
[[File:Dyson Swarm.png|thumb|A relatively simple arrangement of multiple Dyson Rings of the type pictured above, to form a more complex Dyson Swarm. Rings' orbital radii are spaced 1.5 x 10^7 km with regard to one another, but average orbital radius is still 1 {{w|Astronomical unit|AU}}. Rings are rotated 15 degrees relative to one another, around a common axis of rotation. (from Wikipedia Commons)]]<br />
<br />
[[Cueball]] takes the useful practice of {{w|occulting}} stars beyond its intended purpose. Occulting is used to block the light from a star under observation so that adjacent dim objects, such as any {{w|extrasolar planets|surrounding planets}}, might be more easily detected and examined. Instead of blocking the light of a single star for the purposes of observation, Cueball proposes blocking the light from all stars, for the purpose of making him feel comfortable with the night sky. Cueball feels, some might say irrationally, that "there are too many stars, and it's been ''freaking [him] out''".<br />
<br />
The title text refers to both a {{w|Kardashev scale|Type II Kardashev civilization}} and a {{w|Dyson sphere}}.<br />
<br />
A Dyson sphere is a theoretical construction consisting of a network of satellites that orbit and completely surround a star. The purpose to capture and transmit all of the available solar energy back to a planet.<br />
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A Type II Kardashev civilization is a theoretical civilization that has advanced to the point where it has harnessed the energy radiated by its own star (for example, the stage of successful construction of a Dyson sphere).<br />
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For comparison purposes:<br />
*A Type I Kardashev civilization is one that has harnessed the energy of their entire planet.<br />
*A Type III Kardashev civilization is one that has harnessed the energy of their entire galaxy.<br />
*We are currently less than I.<br />
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The title text reveals that Type II Kardashev civilizations construct Dyson spheres not for the purposes of capturing all solar energy, but merely to block the view of all that hideous space.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball is giving a lecture in front of a white board, pointing to a diagram with a pointer.]<br />
:Cueball: The occulting observatory consists of two parts—the telescope and the discs.<br />
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:When the telescope sees a star, a disc is carefully steered to block its light.<br />
:[A diagram of a satellite labeled "telescope" with waves going from it on the left, across to the other side of the diagram (labeled "light from star") on the right. In the middle is a small vertical line labeled "disc", stopping some of the light waves from the right traveling to the left of the diagram.]<br />
:This procedure is repeated until all stars are covered.<br />
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:[Cueball looks down at a student.]<br />
:Student (off screen): Wait, all? Why?<br />
:Cueball: I'll feel better.<br />
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:[Close-up on Cueball.]<br />
:Student (off-screen): I thought the point was to image extrasolar planets.<br />
:Cueball: The point is that there are ''too many stars.'' It's been freaking me out.<br />
:Student: What?<br />
:Student #2 (in smaller letters): He has a point...<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Astronomy]]<br />
[[Category:Exoplanets]]</div>162.158.255.39https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1556:_The_Sky&diff=1071621556: The Sky2015-12-17T00:22:37Z<p>162.158.255.39: /* Explanation */ added incomplete tag due to bad explanation</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1556<br />
| date = July 27, 2015<br />
| title = The Sky<br />
| image = the_sky.png<br />
| titletext = The other half has some cool shipwrecks, rocks, and snakes, but if you move those out of the way, it also has more sky.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
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{{incomplete| There's a paragraph missing, or something, because this flows horribly, and much of it doesn't even explain the comic. Mao is very interesting, as is the theory that Cueball is Megan's other half, but neither of these have ANYTHING to do with the comic. Meanwhile, the explanation of Megan's "favorite halves" statement, THE PUNCHLINE, is completely invisible. I could go on. Must fix!}}<br />
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[[Cueball]] says that he likes the sky. The comic then shows a huge image of the sky with an enormous cloud formation, and [[Megan]] calls the sky one of her favorite halves.<br />
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However, when you look up at the sky at sunset you can see reddish clouds and stars like in the upper right corner. This is well known in xkcd that [[Randall]] really loves astronomy and looking at the sky. So seen from this perspective, there would still be plenty of sky even if we removed the Earth completely. However, there would not longer be any clouds or nice colors.<br />
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The title text also indicates that although the other half is a favorite, below the surface you will see shipwrecks and (sea-)snakes. The rest is just rocks, and if you move these things away you see the sky at the top of the oceans surface. The title text is also a subversion: given that the image depicts half open sky and half clouds, the "other half" could be taken to mean the clouds. Once stated that it contains shipwrecks and snakes, it is clear it is not the clouds she's referring to. Given xkcd's romantic theme throughout many strips, it's possible that the title text is precluding the mushy implication of the "other half" being Cueball, the way many would call their loved ones their "better half."<br />
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The comic may also be a reference to the Half The Sky Movement, or to Mao Zedong's statement that "Women hold up half the sky". Under this interpretation, Cueball's comment about the sky is taken ambiguously by Megan who answers "It's one of my favorite halves". Megan may be referring to the movement, the book or the film of the same name, or the quotation.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[Cueball and Megan are standing looking upward with in a small frame a light blue background.]<br />
:Cueball: I like the sky.<br />
:Megan: Yeah.<br />
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:[Zooms out to show a blue evening sky, the sun must be setting to the left and a streak of yellow and orange clouds goes from top left to bottom right. The sky/clouds get darker further to the right and several stars are visible behind the clouds on the indigo blue sky in the top right corner. There are also some gray clouds low over the horizon. Cueball and Megan standing to the far left Below them and the sky from the horizon and down there is a thick a black slab taking up about a sixth of the frame height.]<br />
:Megan: It's one of my favorite halves.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]</div>162.158.255.39https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1608:_Hoverboard&diff=105823Talk:1608: Hoverboard2015-11-26T07:26:24Z<p>162.158.255.39: observation!</p>
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<div>Well, this will be the next incomplete explanation for a while. -[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.165|162.158.90.165]] 21:58, 24 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Yes, one thing to note is how to get the hell out of the cave near the volcano [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.159|108.162.249.159]] 22:38, 24 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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The image is made up of small images with addresses of the form http://xkcd.com/1608/XXXX:-YYYY+s.png (although not every coordinate inside the bounds has an image associated). A script could probably dump out all the images and paste them together. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.6|108.162.216.6]] 22:46, 24 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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West -- Under Lava Pools -- Elon Musk's Secret Volcano Base (not as enjoyable as you might expect).<br />
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The Starship out east contains, among other things, Darth Vader, apparently explaining Steven Universe to a subordinate. (Steven and the Crystal Gems can be found a the west end of the ship, near an ice cream cooler.) The same ship contains an elaborate homage to the original Prince of Persia. {{unsigned ip|162.158.56.5}}<br />
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There, have at thee an image! [[User:Arch-TK|Arch-TK]] ([[User talk:Arch-TK|talk]]) 22:58, 24 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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There are 168 coins spread throughout the map according to the source code [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.53|173.245.54.53]] 23:03, 24 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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When using a device, instead of saying "use arrow keys to move", it says "tilt to move, tap to jump". It's also a lot harder to control. {{unsigned ip|108.162.250.159}}<br />
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It's actually 169 coins (t.length). --[[Special:Contributions/188.114.111.129|188.114.111.129]] 23:22, 24 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I got 153 coins!! :D There's two starships, one's a star destroyer with an expansive maze dropping regular torpedoes on the other. May be noteworthy that there are various references to Star Wars and Steven Universe throughout. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.13|108.162.221.13]] 23:27, 24 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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The second starship is the TantiveIV, Leia's ship at the beginning of episode 4. Note directly below the Tantive, the terrain seems to be sand dunes. Also there are two more space ships by the volcano; an X-wing at a gas station and an Apollo Command Module. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.24}}<br />
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https://xkcd.com/1608/tigl.js - Looks like there's an easier to read version of the code there. Maybe that'll help someone with extracting all the images. {{unsigned ip|<br />
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I've got all the images downloaded. Zipping/uploading now. Should I post a link here when complete or what's the best way to share these? I'm also working on setting up a zoomable map. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.53|173.245.54.53]] 23:57, 24 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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The collision detection is glitchy. I keep landing/bumping against platforms I'm far away from. Is getting stuck against walls normal? --[[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.234|199.27.130.234]] 00:01, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Tiles are located here in a zip: https://up1.ca/#Gi51KPFyPRELe0T1D6q9Mw All I did was iterate over http://xkcd.com/1608/X:-Y+s.png from X=[916...1116] and Y=[916...1116]. I'm working on putting a zoomable map together. If anyone has interest in helping we could hop on IRC? [[User:Jcox|Jcox]] ([[User talk:Jcox|talk]]) 00:15, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I've written a zsh script to iterate over all possible tiles (does anyone know the height limits? the source only gives the left and right limits) and glue them together into one giant file. I'll upload the results as soon as it's finished. [[User:Arch-TK|Arch-TK]] ([[User talk:Arch-TK|talk]]) 00:17, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I don't think it's limited vertically at all. I found a zoomable map on the reddit topic http://codepen.io/KyleDavidE/full/605dc87b614ff6b2bd716f4c6f640203/ (by kyledavide) [[User:Miraries|Miraries]] ([[User talk:Miraries|talk]]) 00:21, 25 November 2015 (UTC)Miraries<br />
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Here's a zoomed out map of all the game area: https://i.imgur.com/rNU9ZgN.png. From ''luke_in_the_sky'' at Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxc1245]. --[[Special:Contributions/188.114.111.129|188.114.111.129]] 00:35, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Alright, the full png of the entire map is almost finished, I should have used white tiles as blank tiles but I guess I can fix that up in gimp, and I'm not sure how to account for the 1 pixel overlap with just imagemagick convert. The last step is to merge allthe layer images into one giant image, wish my laptop the best of luck! [[User:Arch-TK|Arch-TK]] ([[User talk:Arch-TK|talk]]) 01:00, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Someone beat you to it, but keep on it: that one doesn't have right limit tiles. https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/3u4sy1/xkcd_1608_hoverboard/cxc0p8x --[[Special:Contributions/188.114.111.129|188.114.111.129]] 01:19, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Perhaps we can change the screenshot at the top to this? It's a quickly hacked overview of the entire map: http://imgur.com/Mz9arHz [[Special:Contributions/199.27.129.167|199.27.129.167]] 01:27, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
: I think it might make more sense to just add it as another image, mediawiki supports this after all. The syntax should be: <nowiki>[[File:filename.png|thumb|Subtitle|alt=alt]]</nowiki> [[User:Arch-TK|Arch-TK]] ([[User talk:Arch-TK|talk]]) 01:34, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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[http://files.mckaysalisbury.com/xkcd/hoverboard.html] This one loads all of the images quickly (From the xkcd site), and uses browser zooming. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.47|173.245.54.47]] 01:29, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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:The impassible backgrounds are RGB(0,0,0), and the passable ones are RGB(1,1,1). <code>#explore > :first-child {filter:brightness(30);-webkit-filter:brightness(30);-moz-filter:brightness(30);-o-filter:brightness(30);-ms-filter:brightness(30);}</code> ... See https://twitter.com/BadPhysics/status/669354631869304832 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.155|108.162.249.155]] 03:40, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Here are all the secret passages marked I could find: http://imgur.com/a/fKE1Q --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.220|162.158.91.220]] 00:50, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I wrote a tampermonkey script that shows you your coordinates and lets you teleport; will make coordinate sharing a lot easier. You do need tampermonkey installed for this to work. [https://github.com/minerguy31/xkcd-hoverboard-mod/raw/master/XKCD%20Hoverboard%20Mod.user.js Click to install] [[User:Minerguy31|Minerguy31]] ([[User talk:Minerguy31|talk]]) 04:17, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I got 159 coins without the map. If you guys are still wondering how to escape the volcano, move to the right for as long as you think you can, then start spamming the up key while switching between holding the left and right keys. It worked for me on my first try.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.252.119|162.158.252.119]] 07:06, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Didn't take down the coordinates, but the layout to the first level of the original Prince of Persia is in there, including the guard standing by with his scimitar! I found it in the ship atop the pyramid east of the play area. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.245|108.162.218.245]] 06:24, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Just thought this was interesting, when you "complete" the game by dropping coins, the following line of javascript is run, which sends your result to the server (L is number of coins, z is seconds used):<br />
(new Image).src = "//xkcd.com/events.gif?coins=" + L + "&seconds=" + z;<br />
Don't be tricked by the .gif extension, it doesn't show an image when opened, and the server probably handles this request by logging it to somewhere. {{unsigned ip|141.101.80.87}}<br />
: It actually returns a 1 by 1 pixel white GIF. [[User:Arch-TK|Arch-TK]] ([[User talk:Arch-TK|talk]]) 13:14, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Is there a way that we can merge the "game" part of this comic with the map of [[1110: Click and Drag]]? Allowing us to explore that one in a similar way? [[User:Bon|Bon]] ([[User talk:Bon|talk]]) 11:03, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Well I managed to find (nearly) everything, except the floating rock island, and 162 coins without the map, but even with looking at several maps, I didn't pass any graveyard nor found the way to the grey ocean, which I assume is underneath the "continent". Does anyone know where the entrance is? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.218|162.158.90.218]] 11:54, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Just thought I should say; the comic supports some alternative movement controls, there's the arrow keys, WASD, and also the vi keys (hjkl), and the numpad (8426). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.125|108.162.242.125]] 13:29, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I was not able to get to some points because they were surrounded by text, people or other objects. Is that normal, or are there tricks to get to every coin without using cheats (console)? It would be nice if this could be mention / explained in the article. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.135.35|162.158.135.35]] 13:31, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
:In some cases you can come in from the side as opposed to trying to come down through or up through something. Example: at the X-Wing "gas station", to get that coin, land on the ground to the left of the X-Wing and move to the right on the ground towards the gas station. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 14:45, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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The list of "areas" in the map would be much easier to read, and much easier to correlate with the map, if the origin were set to the starting area (that is, if the coordinates of the starting area were set to x:0, y:0). What is the reason for the very large numbers? --[[User:BlueMoonlet|BlueMoonlet]] ([[User talk:BlueMoonlet|talk]]) 15:50, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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The starting area is in no way related to pac-man. The lines are not all right angles, there is a timer, there's gravity, there are no aggressors, you're collecting coins instead of pellets.... Not every line maze is pac-man. This is an erroneous reference that should be removed. --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.235.167|198.41.235.167]] 17:16, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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The source code found at https://xkcd.com/1608/tigl.js does not seem to be complete. I would personally work on de-obfuscating the full source code using the fragment found there but technically the source is covered by implicit copyright laws and that means that if I published a derived work I would be breaking those laws. Should I just change the line from "The source code can be found at ..." to "The full (obfuscated) source code can be found at ...tigl.min.js and a deobfuscated piece of the source code can be found at ...tigl.js". [[User:Arch-TK|Arch-TK]] ([[User talk:Arch-TK|talk]]) 18:28, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I added quick coordinate / teleport access on right-click to the quick hack map. [[User:Kyledavide|Kyledavide]] ([[User talk:Kyledavide|talk]]) 20:45, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Can't be bothered working out how to edit the page, but the explanation contains the phrase "People holding anchor lines to a Star Destroyer" - they're holding anchor lines to a CR90 Corvette, specifically the Tantive IV, commonly referred to as the "Rebel Blockade Runner", which in turn is being *attacked by* a Star Destroyer. I'll get my coat. {{unsigned ip|162.158.153.47}}<br />
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That's no 'Children's Swimming Pool', it's a ball pit! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.2.222|162.158.2.222]] 23:46, 25 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I slightly improved the "direction to next coin"-code by displaying a compas. Code can be found here http://pastebin.com/PL6fv5XK . I'm new to this wiki and don't want to mess up the page, so I didn't put the code in there myself ... --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.209|162.158.90.209]] 00:01, 26 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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Haven't read all the comments above so maybe someone has written about it? <br />
If you click up it seems to count how many times. So it will just show white and then when you release again, it will take longer to hit the ground the longer you have pushed up. Tried with 100 clicks (9-10 seconds) and 200 clicks (20 seconds).<br />
I got about 163 coins in about 15886 seconds. (4 hours and 24 minutes.) That was with breaks. It was written so shortly on the screen I did not manage to take it down for certain. But after that I read here about the 169 and found that there where at least three in the volcano I had not noticed at first. And it seems likely that there would be three more I have missed. But really fun to explore. I wrote a lot of the transcript along the way (not from the very start though) This I have now posted without any real order in the [[1608: Hoverboard/Transcript]] page. Hope fully a full and useful transcript can emerge from this. I hope my text can be used if not used as it is written at the moment.--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 02:05, 26 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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I thought Atreyu's horse was Artax, not Artex. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.32|198.41.238.32]] 05:27, 26 November 2015 (UTC)<br />
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The beret guy riding a torpedo (/explosive device of some sort) looks like a Dr. Strangeloe tribute to me.</div>162.158.255.39